The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1887-05-24
KENTucKy PIoNEER LIFE.
Incidents of Early Days IN
the DARK and Bloody Ground"

interesting Incidents of Early Days in
the DARK and Bloody Ground
From Haapef's Acyozi,.e for June.
The dangers which Boone and bis conn
oanions encounterod ID the fields came to
the very doors Of their cabins, and con-
SANITY menaced their families. indians
Iurked singly or in parties to seize prisoner
or take a scalp whenever an incautious
white should give the opportunity. Frequent
combats land each combat ended as a rule,
j in the death of Que or both of those en-
B engaged had habituated the men to danger
! 1t was later that they feltthe danger of their
Late on Sunday afternoon in July, 1776,
three young girls yentlred from the enclos-
Fl are of Booneshorough to amnse them
selves with a canoe upon the river that
i flowed by the fort. Irsensibly they drifted
q with the lazy current, and before they were
E aware of their danger were seized by five
n warriors Their resistance was useless,
&though they welded the paddles with des-
e peratim. Their canoe was drawn ashore,
and they were hurried off in rapid retreat
toward the Shawnee towns in Ohio. Their
screams were heard at the fort, and the
cause well guessed. Two of the girls were
ard Galloway, the other was Jemima,
daughter of Boone The fathers were alb
sent. but soon returned to hear the evil
news and arrange the pursuit. Galloway
81 assembled mounted party, and was away
& Through the woods TO head off the Indians, If
"a possible, before they might reach and cross
"a The Ohio, or before the fatigue of their rapid
march should so overcome the poor girls as
TO cause their captors to tomahawk them,
81 and so disencumber their flight.
81 Boone started directly on the trail
81 through the thickets and canebrakes. His
rlle was never to ride if he could possibly
81 walk. All his journeys and hunts, escapes
MI and pursuits, were on foot. His little party
# numbered eight, and the anxiety of a
IS fathers heart quicked its leader, and found
ready response in the breasts of three
%young men, the lovers of the girls.
Betsey Galloway, the oldest of the girls,
# marked the trail, as the Indians hurried
# Them along, by breaking twigs and bending
AS bushes, and when threatened with the tom
III ahawk if she persisted, tore small bits from
81 her dress, and dropped them to guide the
81 pursuers. Where the ground was soft
3 enough to receive an impression, they
|# the best Indian method; the Indians
b marched some yards apart through the
81 bushes and cane compelling their cap
ga tives to do the same. When a creek was
FL crossed they waded in its water to a distant
#point where the march would be re-
#sumed By all the caution and skill Of their
|M training the Indians endeavored to obscure
the trail and perplex the pursuers
|# The nightfall of the first day stopped the
#pursuit of Boone before he had gone far; but
he had fixed the direction the Indians were
q taking, and at early dawn was following
them. The chase was continued with all the
speed that could be made for thirty miles.
Again darkness compelled halt, and again
at crack of day on Tuesday the pursuit was
e renewed. 1t was not long before a light
E film of smoke that rose in the distance
Z showed where the Indians were cooking a
Breakfast Of buffalo meat. The pursuers
s cautiously approached, fearing lest the In
dians might STAY their captives and escape.
BCol John Floyd, who was one of the party
himself afterward killed by Indians), thus
8described the attack and the rescue, in a
letter written the next Sunday to the Lieu
tenant of Fincastle Col William Preston:
"Our study had been how to get the pris-
oners without giving the Indians time to
4anurder them after they discovered us. -Four
Hof us fired, and all of us rushed on them
Xtby which they were prevented from carry
Ding anything away except one shotgun
1without ammunition. Col. Boone and my
AIeelf had each pretty fair shot and they be
gan to move off. l am well convinced
Shot one through the body. The one he
Shot dropped his gun; mine had none. The
place was covered with thick cane, and be
ing so much elated on recovering the three
poor little heart-broken girls, we were pre-
vented from making any further search
We sent the Indians off almost naked some
without their moccasins and none of then
with so much as a knife or tomahawk. After
the girls came to themselves sufficiently tt
speak, they told us there were five Indians
four Shawanese and one Cherokee: they
could speak good English, and said they
should go to the ShawaneSe towns The
war-club we got was like those l have seer
Of that nation and several words of theil
languages, which the girls retained were
known to be Shawanese."
The return with the rescued girls was the
occasion for great rejoicing To crown Their
satisfaction, the young lovers had proved
their proves, and under the eye of the
greatest of all woodsmen had shown their
skill and courage. They had fairly won the
girls they loved Two weeks later a general
summons went throughout the little settle
ments to attend the first wedding ever sol
emnized on Kentucky soil Samuel Hen
delSon and Betsey Galloway were married
III the presence of an approved company
that celebrated the event with dancing and
1eaStlng. The formal license from the
county court was not waited for, as the
court house of Fincastle, of which county
kentucky was part, was distant more than
oO0 miles. The ceremony consisted of the
contract with witnesses, and religious vows
administered by Boone's brother, who was
an occasional preacher of the persuasion
popularity known as Hardshell Baptists
Frances Galloway became within year the
wte OF the gallant Capt. John Holder after
ward greatly distinguished in the pioneer
annals; and BOone's daughter married the